Three Days
by SubspaceWarrior
Summary: This story is essentially a prequel to "Surrogate Sisters", which will focus on Elma and explain her minor role in "Surrogate Sisters". This is to give Elma some time to shine as Cross becomes genuinely concerned for her team leader's health. And she's not the only one who feels that way, too.


**Three Days** :

My name is Cross, and I have a reputation in New Los Angeles, or just NLA, where I am also known as "The Blue Reclaimer", for two reasons. One, due to a very curious state of my appearance. I have blue skin. Even when I learned I have an artificial body, called a "Mimeosome", I've always wondered why I have blue skin. The other is that out of all eight BLADE divisions, the one I chose is the Reclaimers.

If I had chosen any other division, I would've had a similar alias. "The Blue Interceptor", "The Blue Curator", or "The Blue Mediator", all just as examples. But I chose the Reclaimers for... personal reasons. The only one who knows those reasons... is my team leader, Elma, who also happens to be a Reclaimer.

I am one of two of Elma's teammates, the other being a 13 year old Outfitter, known as Lin Lee Koo, whom I recently spent a day off with. Lin and I had a surrogate sisterly bond. I say "surrogate" because obviously, we're not related by blood. My past is a mystery as it is.

So... what was Elma doing that day? She spent the day off as well, but for different reasons. She had a cold, as medics call it. A cold is a common, curable disease on Earth. Here on Mira, colds are incredibly rare, especially for a Mimeosome. So... what lead to the days off?

Well, here's where the story begins. Three days before my bonding day with Lin. On the first day of three...

"Are you three girls ready to hear the mission?" Commander Vandham asked.

"Of course." Elma replied.

"You know it!" Lin agreed.

"I'm listening, Commander Vandham." I replied.

"Heh. The blue girl with the British accent replies last. And I thought you weren't one for conversation. Anyways, here's the mission: A Curator team were picking up some items, when they were being chased by Diluses. We need you to pick up the right tools of the trade, because Diluses are dangerous. It doesn't matter how many of them you defeat, as long as the Curator team is safe." Commander Vandham revealed.

"Where is the distress signal from the Curator team?" Lin asked.

"Well, Lin, to answer your question... Have a look." Vandham said before opening up a map on a holographic board.

"It's coming from... It's coming from Rust Lake." Elma said with a pause.

"Are you alright, Elma? That pause was unnatural." I asked.

"I'm fine."

"Well, if ya say so, Elma. Anyways, you're correct. The signal's coming from Rust Lake. The Curator team is protecting themselves from Merciful Diluses... which is such an ironic name." Vandham said.

"Hmm... Isn't there a Dilus Tyrant that roams Rust Lake?" I asked.

"Well... yes. Sarcosuchus, the Iron-Eater, as they call it. It's the strongest of its kind there. I'll pinpoint the location from its discovery. When you reach the Curator squad, tell them to stay away from there, unless they wanna become Dilus food." Vandham said.

"What will Tatsu do?" Tatsu asked.

"I think it's best if you stay in my Skell. I'd rather not let them steal our prized dinner." Lin jokingly replied.

"Meh-meh-meh-meh?! By "dinner", Linly not referring to Tatsu, is she?!" Tatsu yelled out of fluster.

Vandham tried to suppress a giggle before continuing the mission briefing. "Anyways, be extremely careful. Don't get all cocky just because the Skell Flight Module was finally invented."

"Don't worry..." Elma said before clearing her throat. She... sounded a little hoarse before clearing her throat. "I've got things under control. Cross and Lin will just follow my orders, and we'll ensure this is a team effort."

"That's the spirit, Elma. Let's get started, then." Vandham replied.

As we were prepping, I noticed that Elma was bringing her water bottles. "Elma? Why are you bringing so many water bottles?" I asked out of confusion.

"It's... nothing concerning, I assure you." Elma replied.

"We're going to Noctilum, not Oblivia, Elma. Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine, Rook. It'll be okay."

"What are you two doing? Let's go!" Lin ordered us as she and Tatsu head to Lin's Skell, which I named "Color Girl".

I had difficulty choosing a name, color, and frame for Lin's Skell. Luckily, she was open to anything I give her.

Later, when we arrived in Noctilum's Rust Lake...

"There's the Curator team! Their weapons aren't working against those Diluses..." Lin said.

"Elma? What shall we do?" I asked.

"Park your Skells, and grab their attention via on-foot. Use your thermal weapons correctly. I'll use Ether weapons." Elma ordered.

"Ready for another lesson in using a Gatling Gun and Shield combo, Cross?" Lin asked.

"You know it, Lin." I replied.

"Use Trash Talk on the left Dilus, while I distract the one on the right." Lin ordered.

"I'll buff you two up." she said... while sounding a bit hoarse. She cleared her throat before she starts walking very slowly, while saying "Ghost Factory."

After the slow walk, she does a pose. We feel like we can evade almost every attack.

"Thanks a bunch!" Lin said while I said "Thank you!"

"Trash Talk!" we both yelled as we whacked the ground with our shields.

Surely enough, we each attracted our respective Dilus targets.

"We got the first strike! Take it in close!" I ordered.

"Now it's my turn!" Elma yelled as she jumped and started spinning like a drill before landing a kick on the Dilus I was targetting, effectively staggering it. This Art was called Shadowstrike.

As the battle was getting intense, I noticed that... Elma's voice was getting raspier as she was giving orders. Once the battle's over, and the Curators are rescued, I was going to have a chat with her.

"They're almost down! We've got to work together and finish them both!" I yelled.

"I've got a plan!" Elma stated after a cough.

Elma would stand right between the two Diluses, and start firing a barrage of shots from both of her guns. "Violent Streak!" she yelled as she was firing from her sides, with Violent Streak being the Art's name.

Meanwhile, Lin and I fired an arc of bullets on the Diluses. We both yelled "Bullet Storm!" because that was the name of the art.

And surely enough, the Diluses were finished. "Are you two alright?" I asked the Curators.

"Thanks. If it weren't for you three, I would've been Dilus food." the first Curator said as she responded to my question.

"Yeah. Thank goodness you three showed up. We're grateful to have you three around." the other Curator said as he and his teammate jumped off the rocks.

"Anytime. Now don't go that way. It'll only lead you to the Tyrant known as Sarcosuchus, the Iron-Eater. The strongest Dilus in Rust Lake." Lin said.

"Understood. We'll go the other way." the female Curator said.

"We got the items we were looking for anyway." the male Curator said.

Afterwards, they both started heading back to New LA safely.

"Lin, could you go on ahead? I'd like to have a talk with Elma." I asked.

"Of course." Lin replied before entering Color Girl, where Tatsu was waiting at the whole time.

"What is it, Cross? Feel free to ask me anything. After all, I'm your team leader." Elma asked.

"Are you sure you're alright? Your voice sounded... raspy. I'm actually worried." I replied.

"Oh, that? I think my mim's going through some kind of throat glitch. But I assure you, I will be alright. I'll get better." Elma reassured me.

"Well, if it gets worse, don't be afraid to tell me. You may be my team leader, but you shouldn't be afraid to let your team know if you're suffering from problems. Lin and I are here for you, Elma."

"...Thank you, Cross. I'll do my best to keep you two informed."

The second of three days...

"Another mission, Commander?" Elma asked.

"Yep. A request... from the Secretary himself." Vandham nodded.

"Oh? What does Secretary Nagi want?" I asked.

"In Oblivia, there's this fruit known as Royal Grapes. They're so impressively sized, that only one grows per tree." Vandham replied.

"Why does Nagi want Royal Grapes?" Lin asked.

"Well, Lin, according to the Curators, the juices of Royal Grapes can be mixed with alcohol, which creates a palatable, wine-like drink. Nagi decided he wants to give it a try." Vandham replied.

"Royal Grapes are difficult to find." Elma stated... in a raspy voice.

"Indeed, they are. Also, your voice is kinda... raspy, Elma. Make sure you bring lots of water bottles." Vandham ordered.

"Huh. You noticed?" Elma was confused.

"Should I be concerned? Elma sounds even raspier than she was yesterday. I wonder what's going on?" I thought with concern.

"According to FrontierNav, Royal Grapes can be found in central Oblivia. At the bottom of King's Falls, around Aaroy Plains, and up to below the Giant Ring, just for examples." Vandham said.

"Maybe we should bring Candid & Credible's gear in case we come across an electromagnetic storm?" Lin suggested.

"Well, of course. The Ma-non's technology has been proven to be highly resistant to electricity. It's nice that they incorporated it into armor." Vandham nodded.

"Not to mention, the designs are just cute!" I squeed with a smile.

"Anyways, Nagi wants three Royal Grapes. Think you three can handle it?" Vandham asked.

"Of course." Me, Elma, and Lin all said. (With Elma sounding raspy in the process...)

"Then shall we get going?" Tatsu asked.

"You're free to start anytime." Vandham replied.

After a bit, we landed in Oblivia. Our mission was to gather at least three Royal Grapes and have them delivered to Secretary Nagi.

"I'll head to the lake near King's Falls." I suggested.

"I'll head towards the Giant Ring and search beneath it." Lin suggested.

Elma coughed before saying "I'll search around Aaroy Plain."

"Are you alright, Elma? You sound... worse compared to yesterday." I asked out of concern.

"I'm probably just going through a phase, Cross. I brought plenty of water." Elma reassured me.

"Okay, but if you suffer another problem, I'll have to find out what is wrong with your body." I stated.

Anyways, we all split up, heading towards our respective destinations. And, as always, Tatsu chose to follow Lin.

As I was searching near King's Falls, I felt tempted to take a bath, only for me to remind myself to focus on the mission. And that Elma and Lin are each searching for one Royal Grape, and that I should do the same.

"I know I enjoyed bathing there during that mission with Doug, HB, and Lao, but that was because we were sidetracked by a heat wave. There's no heat wave right now, though. I need to find a Royal..." I was about to say when I looked at the next tree to my left.

"...Grape." I finished my sentence as I found what I was looking for. I plucked it from the tree. The Curators' description wasn't kidding about this fruit being so large that only one grows per tree. But even so, I was able to put it in my pocket.

Meanwhile, with Lin and Tatsu...

"Tatsu, if you see a tree with a large fruit growing from it, don't be afraid to let me know." Lin ordered.

"Tatsu should not be distracted by Giant Ring, then. Even Tatsu not know how Giant Ring came to be." Tatsu shrugged.

"It is a fascinating sight. But we'll study the Giant Ring later. Right now, we need to find a Royal Grape." Lin said.

"Tatsu thought Suit Man wanted three, Linly."

"I know, Tatsu. But Cross and Elma are searching for one each. In fact, I suspect one of them had found it already."

After a bit, something startled Tatsu.

"Wha?! Tatsu see large fruit from tree!" Tatsu yelled out of fluster.

"Let me analyze it..." Lin said as she observed it. After some observation, she came to a conclusion. "Yep. It's a Royal Grape. I'll grab it."

And she did exactly that, without any effort.

"Linly stronger than Tatsu thought!" Tatsu was impressed by Lin's lack of effort.

"Well, I always carry a Shield and a Gatling Gun, so carrying this is nothing." Lin smiled.

Meanwhile, as Elma was searching around Aaroy Plain, most of the trees she discovered were empty. Which, of course, made sense. Oblivia is a desert region on Mira.

Focusing was difficult for Elma, not because of the heat, but because of her coughing. She emptied two water bottles already.

"This coughing... As long as I keep going, it will go away before too long." Elma shrugged at her condition.

As Elma had tripped on a pebble, she got up to discover that the tree in front of her... had a Royal Grape.

"Heh. I should grab it once I get back up." Elma nervously smiled as she was getting back up.

She then grabbed the Royal Grape in front of her, and then started waiting for me and Lin. And Tatsu.

After a bit, we came back. "Did you get a Royal Grape, too?" I asked, while pulling my sample from my pocket.

"How do you do that, Cross?" Lin asked.

"I'll explain when we get back. As long as Tatsu's not around. No offense." I explained.

"W-Why leave Tatsu out?" Tatsu asked.

"Two words. Your gender." I explained.

"Tatsu's gender?" Elma coughed.

"Mm-hmm. I've always believed that a girl's gotta have her secrets." I giggled.

"I see. Anyways, here's my sample." Lin said as she showed it.

"Here's mine." Elma showed her sample.

"Alright, now let's head back to NLA, and give them to Secretary Nagi." I said.

When we returned, Secretary Nagi thanked us for getting thee Royal Grapes. Afterwards, we spent the remainder of the day within NLA.

"Elma, it appears you're suffering coughs that are increasingly worse. Are you sure you're alright?" I asked.

"It's nothing to be... concerned about." Elma coughed along the way.

"Remember what I asked yesterday, Elma?"

"About telling you about my condition?"

"Yes. I said that if your condition's getting worse, don't be afraid to tell me."

"I see. I'll try to be more genuine next time, Cross."

The last of three days...

"I have another mission for you three. A BLADE team is sending an SOS signal in Sylvalum." Vandham stated.

"What's it about?" Elma asked... in a still raspy voice.

"Before I get to it, are ya sure you're alright, Elma?" Vandham questioned.

"I'm wondering that myself." I agreed.

"Anyways, a female BLADE had one of her favorite good luck charms stolen by Ganglion troops, and her team suspects they're planning on luring her to a trap... so they could execute her by themselves." Vandham said.

"So... if nothing done, good luck charm become bad luck charm?" Tatsu asked while shivering.

"Yep. Looks like it. Her team's keeping her at bay so the Ganglion's trap doesn't work. They suggested contacting HQ to send a powerful team to the rescue. And the first team that came to mind is you three." Vandham nodded.

"As usual. When something big is happening, you turn to us immediately." Lin shrugged.

"And within reason, too. You three are quite the tough team. Anyways, you recall the Badr Stronghold?" Vandham asked.

"The one where the three of us and Secretary Nagi rescued that last survivor of a decimated team?" I asked.

"Yep. Honestly, I'm not sure what went into Nagi's head at that time... Anyways, according to the data they uploaded into FrontierNav, it's at the Badr Stronghold. It's in western Sylvalum." Vandham replied.

"Okay, then. Shall we move out?" Elma asked. Lin and I nodded by agreeing.

"Then off to the mission with ya." Vandham ordered. Lin and Elma went to get their gear, but as I was about to follow them, Vandham cleared his throat.

"Yes, Commander Vandham?" I asked.

"I'm still wonderin' what's up with Elma. If she shows any more symptoms of something, find our medical expert at the Hangar. Right where Doug is usually at. Does that sound fine by you, Rook?" Vandham asked.

"Of course. Leave it to me. I'll even send Elma's Skell back into my watch... with Elma inside it if I must." I replied.

"Smart girl. I'll leave that to you, then, Rook." Vandham said as he was leaving.

"Rook" is a nickname that Vandham usually calls me. It's short for "rookie". Elma also calls me by that nickname by occasion.

Later, we've arrived at the BLADE base camp closest to Badr Stronghold, the Samuel Incline BC. This was where the BLADE team whose good luck charm that was stolen is residing at.

"We're here." Elma mostly sounded clearer, but still had that slight raspiness.

"Oh, thank goodness. I've had two Ganglion troopers steal my precious good luck charm. You must be Team Elma, right?" the female BLADE asked.

"Yep! That's us!" Lin replied with a smile and a fist pump.

"So, I take it Commander Vandham gave you the rundown on the mission?" a male BLADE asked.

"Yep. Your good luck charm has been stolen, and we're tasked with retrieving it and simultaniously saving your life." I stated.

"Indeed. We're suspecting the Ganglion have a trap set up for our team. I figured if we sent another BLADE team in our place, the trap won't activate. Especially if the team in question is truly elite." the same male BLADE replied.

"And I was hoping it wouldn't be HB's team." the female BLADE stated. I tried to surpress laughter from it.

"Anyways, the Badr Stronghold should be right down this way." Elma pointed what would be west.

"Indeed. Please, be careful." the female BLADE requested.

"Understood." me, Elma, and Lin all said at the same time before taking off.

As we were arriving, the night skies were revealed by a beautiful Crimson Auroras.

"Err... Tatsu not like this... Something's in bad mood as result of this..." Tatsu shuddered.

"Calm down, Tatsu. It's only the Coronids that are affected by this. Besides, we're past them already." Lin reassured Tatsu, to which I nodded in agreement.

"Besides, if you're that scared, then you can just hang on to Lin unless there's a fight going on." I stated.

"Indeed. We're at Badr Basin." Elma said after drinking another bottle of water. Then, I noticed another sound coming from Elma after she spoke. She... sniffled.

"If Elma has one more symptom, I will have to take over leadership of this mission. I have my watch on the ready." I thought in my head.

As we were continuing to make process, we saw some Ganglion machines, called Pugiliths. They look kind of like two legged machines with the horn of a beetle. The very tip of the horn resembles a Puge.

"We're getting closer. Keep your wits about you." Elma ordered.

Eventually, we arrived at our destination, Badr Stronghold. One of these towers was where the stolen good luck charm was kept at. We had to figure out which tower has the stolen charm.

"Lin, can you analyze the towers to see which one has the stolen charm?" Elma whispered with a raspy tone.

"Of course." Lin replied before pulling out her comm device and scanning the towers of this base.

"To think this is the same stronghold that we infiltrated alongside Secretary Nagi. I can hardly imagine how he easily defeated those Marnucks." I whispered as Lin was analyzing the Stronghold.

"Maybe he's just skilled with the blade." Elma theorized the idea.

"Scanning complete. That one up there? That's our target location." Lin said.

"Very good. Keep your guard up, everyone. We can't afford unwanted attention." Elma whispered.

"Do you have enough Tension Points, Elma? We could always use Shadowrunner." I asked.

"Yes, actually. Those Scirpos we fought along the way was good exercise." Elma agreed.

Then, Elma grabbed her dual swords, and surrounded herself in a shady aura. That was Shadowrunner.

"Follow me immediately. The sooner we get to that tower, the better." Elma ordered with a raspy voice.

As we were heading towards the tower on the upper level, I decided to ask Lin and Tatsu some questions.

"Have either of you noticed anything... odd about Elma's body?" I asked.

"Aside from having so many water bottles, I'm not sure. I know Elma sounds raspy, but... I'm not sure other than that." Lin replied.

"Tatsu was wondering why Mustache Man was asking if Elma's alright." Tatsu said as he was catching up.

"Well... Raspy voice, coughing, and now, sniffling. I'm concerned about Elma." I stated.

"Elma's been sniffling?" Lin asked.

"Yep."

"Hmm... You don't suppose Elma's getting sick? ...No, it's very hard for a mimeosome to get sick. It's still possible for a mim to get poisoned, but... Hmm... We should focus on the mission first, Cross."

"Sure thing, Lin. But if Elma exhibits one more symptom..." I said before Elma interrupted.

"Focus, you two. I'm way ahead of the both of you already." Elma ordered before coughing. Lin and I looked at each other and nodded before catching up to our leader.

Once we finally made it, we discovered that the tower is guarded by some Marnucks, as well as a Puge, and even an indigen, called a Caro. The first Caro that we've ever encountered are technically not classified as Caro... In other words, Tainted Caro.

"We should surprise them. I have a plan. We'll need a bit of leadership, versatility, and strength, all combined into one talent, to get rid of all of the guards. Are you two ready to start?" Elma asked, with me and Lin nodding in agreement.

Elma entered the base, and fired a barrage of Beam-attribute shots from her Dual Guns. "Violent Streak!" was what she yelled. And surely, it ended up hitting every single opponent that was in that tower alone. It hit 4 Marnucks, the Puge, and even the Caro, even though the last one was outside the building.

Lin and I arrived on the scene, wielding shields and gatling guns together. "You ready, Lin?" I asked.

"Ready when you are!" Lin replied.

We were in for one chaotic battle. Although we are far outnumbered, we're proving that larger numbers don't necessarily win a battle. However, there did happen one event that forced the smaller team to reduce its numbers for a bit.

Elma grabbed her dual swords to block a Marnuck's attack. As they're struggling to overpower the other, something unexpected came from Elma's voice.

"Ahh... Ahh... Ah-choo!" ...Elma had sneezed. ...On the Marnuck's face. Boy, was that Marnuck infuriated. I had noticed Elma's sneeze, and decided to fulfill Vandham's request earlier.

"Lin! Take care of that Marnuck in front of Elma! Quickly!" I ordered.

"Roger! Trash Talk!" Lin complied as she created an attention-grabbing shockwave by whacking the ground with her shield.

"Elma, I'm sorry to say this, but you're going to have to sit this battle out." I ordered Elma.

"Cross? Why should I sit this out?" Elma asked.

"You just sneezed. Clearly, something's wrong with your mim. Not to mention, your fighting's off than usual. I don't want your fighting skill to decrease because of whatever's wrong with your mim. Vandham ordered me to make you sit the fight out if you display more than one symptom. Now, please, sit this fight out and leave the rest to me and Lin!" I ordered.

Elma was shocked as I ran back to fight the Marnuck.

Lin and I finished the remaining enemies off, starting with me sending the Puge flying with a powerful blow from my shield, called Atomic Hit. This move was taught to me by Hector Birthwhistle, better known as HB.

As the Puge lands in front of the remaining Marnucks and the Caro, Lin finished them off with a multi-hitting shockwave from her shield. The art was called Drum Roll.

With the enemies cleared, we proceeded to make the next plan. "I've got a plan. Lin, go right ahead. I'll be with you in a moment."

"Got it, Cross." Lin said as she entered the tower.

"Elma, you're to stay right here. You're in no condition to fight. When we head back to NLA, we'll take a look at what's going on with your mim. For now, though, I'll be right back."

Elma sighed as I went into the tower to meet up with Lin.

As we reached the top, we looked and looked until...

"Lin! Over here!" I waved towards Lin.

"Did you find it?" Lin asked me.

"Yep. This must be the good luck charm. Now, let's head back to the Samuel Incline BC before something happens."

"Yes. Right away."

But then, as we were about to head down the steps...

"Think you can slip from us, humans?" a distorted voice can be heard from behind us. We turned around and saw... that it was a powerful Ganglion troop. This one's a silicon-based xenoform called a Milsaadi.

"Oh, come on!" Lin grumbled.

"This trap was meant for someone else, and you disarmed it! Curse you, humans! We'll have to take you on by force!" the Milsaadi was furious.

We were struggling against the Milsaadi, even as we activated an aura called "Enhanced Stand".

But as things were about to be hectic, something suddenly staggered the Milsaadi, and it was... "Elma?! You're supposed to be back at the entrance!" I was shocked.

"I can't just stand there and let my team face defeat!" Elma said... before the Milsaadi staggered Elma in retaliation. "I'm off balance!"

"You're the leader of these two? Then I shall-" the Milsaadi was about to focus on Elma, when I suddenly based the Milsaadi's leg with my shield, shouting "Wild Down!"

"Thermal Payload!" Lin yelled as she fired powerful thermal missiles from her Gatling Gun, which finished the Milsaadi off, with the Milsaadi yelling in pain in the meantime.

I summoned Elma's Skell, Red Leader, which I named for two reasons. One, I associate Elma with the color red, a contrast to me being associated with blue. And two, to show my appreciation to her as my team's leader.

"Elma, please get in the Skell immediately." I requested with tranquil fury.

"Why?" Elma asked.

"Just get in." I insisted.

After Elma did that, I sent Elma's Skell back into my summoning watch... with Elma still inside it.

"W-Where am I? Cross, you've got to let me out!" Elma ordered.

"Not until we get back to NLA, Elma. I'm sorry, but this is for your own good." I said with dismay.

Later, back at Samuel Incline BC...

"Is this the good luck charm that the Ganglion stole from you?" I asked as Lin showed the female BLADE the charm.

"Yes! That's the one! Clearly, good luck charms have the opposite effect on the Ganglion." she replied.

"Indeed. The Ganglion is surely out of luck this time." Lin snickered.

"Hold on... Where's Elma?" the female BLADE asked.

"She's in her Skell... which is inside my summoning watch." I replied.

"Why?" the female BLADE replied.

"It's for her own good. Something's wrong with her Mimeosome. I intend to find out when we get back to NLA." I replied.

"Okay, then. I hope everything goes well." the female BLADE team smiled.

Later that night, in NLA...

"Excuse me, Jeffrey? I have a question." I asked Jeffrey, NLA's health expert.

"Of course." Jeffrey replied.

"My team leader, Elma... Something's wrong with her mimeosome. And it's... possibly health related." I said.

"May I see Ms. Elma, then?" Jeffrey asked.

"Hold on a second." I said as I turned towards an open part, then summoned Elma's Skell, Red Leader.

Almost immediately, Elma came out of her Skell, breathing a sigh of relief.

"What are the symptoms of your problems?" Jeffrey asked Elma.

"I'll answer on behalf of Elma. Two days ago, her voice was hoarse and raspy." I said.

"Did your throat feel sore that day?" Jeffrey asked Elma.

"Well... sort of." Elma nervously replied.

"Hmm... What else was there?" Jeffrey asked.

"Yesterday, Elma was coughing rather frequently. She consumed more water bottles than usual." I replied.

"Mm-hmm. That narrows the list down a bit. Any more symptoms?" Jeffrey asked.

"Last but not least, I discovered two more symptoms today. Sniffly nose, and powerful sneezes." I replied.

"Is your nose runny, Elma?" Jeffrey asked.

"I... think so?" Elma replied with uncertainty.

"I think I have a diagnosis. Elma, your mimeosome's suffering a cold." Jeffrey came to a quick conclusion. The three of us had our eyes open.

"A cold? I thought mims were incapable of getting colds." Lin was most shocked.

"Mimeosomes are highly resistant to diseases, but that doesn't stop them from occuring at all. In fact, Elma's mim is the third one I heard had a cold, the first two being Hugo and Leanne, respectively." Jeffrey replied.

"Elma... Why didn't you tell me you had a cold at all? I told you to be honest with me the last two days." I asked.

"I... didn't know it was possible for me to suffer a cold. Huh. I guess I wasn't being honest not just with you, but with me neither." Elma looked down.

"I've got an idea, Elma. We'll just inform Commander Vandham about your condition, and see if it's possible for us to have some time off. You need to spend less time on BLADE missions and more time recovering." I suggested. Elma smiled with approval.

Later that night, I informed Commander Vandham about Elma's condition, and boy, was he surprised about Elma's cold. It's incredibly rare for a mimeosome to sustain a cold. In order to give Elma a chance to recover, Vandham approved of Team Elma having some time off.

The next day, where Elma begins to recover from her cold, Lin and I had a surrogate sisterly bond, but that's another story entirely. I will say that this is the end of this particular story.


End file.
